The Story So Far

Over the past decade the way we find reading material and consume it has changed dramatically. There has been a substantial shift from traditional reading to digital, led by the US with the UK following close behind. Some segments and genres have moved almost entirely to digital such as tertiary and professional education materials and romance fiction.Â In fact we read more than ever before but from more varied sources picking and choosing elements from websites, ebooks, social channels, online journals and traditional print media. Digital distribution has evolved – the move from laptops to tablets, phablets and eReaders has seen digital devices become smaller and more powerful with a growing expectation to be able to consume digital content on any device anywhere seamlessly synchronised and interconnected. This year mobile devices are set to become the primary method of consuming digital content in the UK. This combination of factors has created the potential for huge innovation and opportunity in the publishing industry. Digital represents the most significant change to content creation and distribution since the invention of the printing press. What’s more, new technology has made hybrid content (content that combines the written word with digital interactivity) cost effective, scalable and more engaging than ever before. In March 2014 Moondog Books launched with a team experienced in a range of complementary sectors including entertainment content, gaming and technology. By working with publishers and carrying out market research we have found an opportunity to collaborate with the publishing industry to develop a kids reading platform that marries innovative digital technology with the best new book content, a platform that could put story telling back at the heart of a kid’s world.

A digital bookclub with a sensational library of children’s content, a library that could be explored by children in an all you can read format, which they would be rewarded for with virtual rewards, activities and social engagement. As part of this club, children would be provided with personal recommendations as to what they might want to read, and be able to share their experience with their family and friends. In short we wanted to create the ultimate reading experience for kids, one that made it easy for them to find content that they liked, rewarded them for reading it and allowed them to tell their family and friends all about it. This vision is now becoming a reality – we have aggregated content from most of the major kids book publishers (we hope others will come soon) and we are nearing completion of our technology platform. We are planning to launch at the end of the year but before then there is a lot to be done, finalising our platform, user testing and working with schools and families to make our product the best it can be. We wanted to tell you our story and hope that you will become part of it.